Concrete-measuring machine.



PATBNTED .APR..23, 1907. A. P. NIMS. CONCRETE MEASURING MACHINEAPPLIOATIOH rmzn MAY 26. I906.

J WITNESSES 1h: NORRIS FEIERS co., wisnmanm. n. c.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONCRETE-MEASURING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed May 26, I906- erial No; 318,845.

To It whom, it 771/601] concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN F. Nuts, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, in the county of Jefferson and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Concrete-hileasuring Machine, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a verysimple, durable,economic and effective machine for measuring concrete or con cretemixtures, or the'like, and for delivering the measured material to anydesired receiver; which machine is portable and low, enabling materialto be easily shoveled into it or dumped therein from wheel-barrows withthe assistance of low platforms.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide the hopper with permanentlow partitions and removable extension partitions, thus dividing thehopper into a series of compartments, all of which may contain the samematerial, or different material or mixtures, and also to provide eachcompartment with an independent bucket or measuring wheel and means fortemporarily closing any one or more compartments, whereby eachcompartment and its measuring wheel is rend cred independent of theothers, and all or any desired number may be simultaneously brought intoaction.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a conveyer arranged toreceivethe material discharged from all the measuring wheels, and toprovide an independent dumping chute for each compartment, adapted todeliver the material therefrom to the measuring wheel, which dumpingchutes are automatically operated by the measuring wheels, beingso-constructed and arranged as to deliver just sufficient material to abucket of the measuring wheel as to practically fill it.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed outin-the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of themachine, the section ing chute and measuring wheel, and the conveyerbelt; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the complete machine, drawn upona small scale and illustrating diagrammatically the conveyer belt, itssupports and a driving mechanism for the shaft carrying the measuringwheels.

A represents a hopper, which may be of any desired length, the sides 10of the hopper being inclined from the top downward in direction of eachother to an extent which will leave a space 11 between their loweredges, as is shown in Fig. 2. This hopper may be supported in anysuitable or approved manner; as shown a framework is employed, consisting of upper longitudinal beams 12, vertical supporting beams 13 andtransverse beams 14c. The hopper A is permanently divided into a seriesof compartments 0 by partitions B, which partitions do not extend to theupper edge of the hopper as is shown in both Figs. 1 and 2. Inconnection with these partitions B upper removable partitions B may beemployed when it is desired to increase the capacity of the compartments.

Each of the main partitions B consists of an upper solid section 15whose upper surface is preferably inclined from the center downward indirection of its sides; and from the upper solid section 15 a hanger 16is carried downward, which hanger is of suflicient length to passthrough the opening 11 and some distance below it, as is best shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2; and in the further construction of the mainpartition B side slabs 17 are employed, which extend down from the saidsolid section 15 parallel with its sides. These slabs 17 extend downthrough the opening 11 in the hopper, but not to the extent of thehanger 16, as is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and theslab's 17 arepractically of the same width as the width of the opening 11 throughwhich they pass.

A plate 18 is mounted to slide on the inner face of the forward sidesection of the hopper A, and to extend when desired below the lower edgeof said side section, as is shown in Fig. 2, soas to lessen the width ofthe opening 11 to suit different material passing through it. To thatend. the adjustable plate 18 is provided with a slot 19 through which asuitable bolt 20 is passed for holding the plate in adjusted position.

Atthe opposite side of the hopper an agitating plate 21. is secured tothe inner face of the hopper, and this agitating plate extendsdownwardly and forwardly to a greater or lesser extent, and "sconstructed 01 a spring material. Both of the plates 18 and 21v are ofsubstantially the same width as the width of the compartment in whichthey are placed.

In. connection with each compartment (1 a dumping chute l) isen'iployed. This chute consists o'l" a bottom 22 andv sides 23, thechute being open at its forward end, at its top and at its rear, andeach chute is pivoted to the l'iangers 16 between its center and itsrear end by means o'l. suitable pivot boltifl l. The inclination of theagitating plate 21 in each com mrtment is pre'l eably such. that thelower ends of the agitating plat all will be just to the rear of thepivots 241; and clear ol the bottom 22 ol the dumping chutes when intheir horizontal or receiving prsition shown in Fig. 2. i

A measuring wheel E is provided for each compartment 0, and thesemeasuring wheels are located beneath. the dumping chutes l) and aresulizstantially of the same width as the width of the compartinent inconnection with which they co-opente. In the preferredv construction ofa measuring wheel l it consists of side members 25 secured upon a lineshaft E common to all oi the wheels, and partitions 26 also secured tosaid shaft and extending to the peripheral portion of the sides 25 andfrom one side to the other, dividing each wheel into a series ofbuckets. sually four Oil' such buckets are provided for as is shown inFig. 2. At the outer end of each of the partitions 26 a wing or llange.27 is formed, which follows the contour of the peripheral portion ofthe sides, and is oi such length as to clrse slightly more than onehalfof the width of the mouth of a bucket.

In the arrangement of the partitions 26 when l ormingrthe various m iasuring wheels E, the partitions of the wheels in their order from right toleft, or vice vers: are set ba :k, so that corrispomling partitions inconsecutive wheels will have a stepped arrangement. Such an arrangementis provided for in order that the corresponding buckets of all ol thewheels shall not dump their contents at the same time.

I desire it further to be urulerstood that each measuring wl'ieel IG maybe provided with an independent hub {HM be seen red to its shaft in anyapproved manner.

The dumping chutes l) are held in. their normal horizontal positionshown in Fig. 2, by engagement at their lower bottom portions with. theouter faces of the wings or flanges 27 of the m :asuring whees, and.when the chutes D are released from such engz'tgement with said wings orflanges 27 of the wheels E, the chutes will automatic: lly drop at theirforward. ends, entering the open ends of the buckets beneath them andemptying l I l 1 l l l i i l l their contents into the same: and by thetime that the next llange or wing 1.7 engages with a chute l) to elevateth same to nornml p sition, the cnute will have d'scharged iuslsullicient material into the bucket to [ill the latter.

l orwa (i and rear stationary curved shields 28 are secured in the'lli'lllllPVCOl'li and are spacer. a suitable distance lrom the pariplieral surlaces ol' al l ol the wheels. serving to direct thecontents ol the buckets in lllc wheels on to a troughing belt 1*;wnichis shown in its entirety in Figs. 1} a .il in section in Fig. 2. Thistroughing belt is passed over suitable drums 2f), 30 and 2-31, the drum2) being at oneernl ol the machine anti lnerirum 31 some distanceremoved irom the opposite end ol the machine, as the stretch ol the beltpassing over the drum Ul is the discharging stretch and is adapted todeliver the material into any tlesirezl receiver. 'lhe upper orreceiving stretch ol'the belt l which is beneatli the me: suring w heelsl1], is straight or horizmtal, whereas the delirering or dischargingstretch. is given an upward and downward inclination.

The belt is passed over suitabh plaeei idlers 32 and is continuous orendless; and the drivingo'l' the belt is a. i-co|nplished through themedium ol the interminliate drum 3H). which is driven 'l'rom a shalt Illronnert zl with any suitable source o'l power. on r-JhiJ-h shalt a worm35 is lormexl, engaging with a worm wheel 3-36 at one end ol the lineshall E. This worm gearing is not utilized ior d iving purposes, but isemployed lor regu--- lating purposes, since the weight oi the materialbeing all on. one side ol' the nwasuring wheels no power is *equired toturn them. In tact, they would run away it no regulating gear wereemployed.

The measured i'naterial is received upon the upper horizontal stretchi'iii ol' the belt l and is deliverer to the inclined stretch Ill fromwhich it is disclmrgezl, as has l een mentioneil; but l: alesire it tobe understood that usually one of the idlers I32, 1lesignate:lv as .r.has a 'llexible or hinged support, enabling the outer or delivery (llilol. the conveyor belt to be raised or lowered to i: .cilitate thedeliremof any kind of materal to the mixer i'o: ex ample.

The machine is portable, being usually provided with. supporting wl eelsI)? diagram]natically shown in. .l ig. I and is made low in order thatmaterial may be readily :leposited therein. The machine will awn-.ratellif 'n'ieasure all kinds ol' mater'al usualli enmloycd in concreteconstrm-tion anal will deliver it to any kind oi concrete mixer. Anykind ol mixture can be obtained and delivered to the belt l For example.the his! (annpartment t inv the hopper an contain either cement, sand orstone, and likewise any other compartment. The stone is placed in thefirst six compartments for example and sand in the preceding threecompartments, the remaining or tenth compartment being closed. The stonewill have a thin layer of sand. over it when deposited on the conveyerbelt, and if cement is placed in the last or tenth compartment, theentire deposited mass will have a thin layer of cement over the stoneand sand; or the order may be changed or include as many difi'erentmixtures as there are measuring wheels and chutes.

Any compartment C may be adapted to any of the materials mentioned, bysuitably adjusting the plate 18 therein, and any compartment may beclosed by placing a cover 39 over it as is shown in Fig. 1, which coveris shaped to rest upon the inclined upper faces of opposing partitionsB.

As a measuring wheel revolves, the material is deposited very graduallyupon the conveyer belt, and before a bucket in the wheel is emptiedanother commences to discharge. By the arrangement of the buckets in themeasuring wheels heretofore described, that is, where each section offour buckets is placed a little circum'ferentially ahead of the others,no two buckets commence to discharge at. the same time, and by thismeans the material is delivered very universally and is also evenlydistributed.

As a measuring wheel E revolves, the accompanying chute D will dro intothe bucket as the chute is release from the flange or wing 27 accomanying the bucket;

and as the chute D inc ines downward and forward, the lower backportionof the chute will strike the agitating plate 21 and agitate the materiallodged against it and consequently the material in the compartment aboveit, whereupon the material will slide down the chute into the bucketuntil the bucket is filled. At such time the material will not slide outfurther from the chute,

owing to the fact that the incline of the chute when down is that ofabout forty-five de grees from the horizontal, which is very close tothe angle of repose for most concrete material.

It will be observed that the sides 21 of the chutes D move in the spacesbetween the slabs 17 and the hangers 16. This arrangement is made inorder that there shall be no spilling of the material as it passes fromthe compartment C on to the chute D.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. In concrete measuring machines, a hopper having an outlet, a dumpingchute pivoted beneath the outlet, an agitating device 0 erated by thechute, and a measuring w ieel provided with a series of buckets mountedto revolve beneath the chute and to control its cut-off and dumpingrelatively to the hopper.

2. In concrete measuring machines, a hoper provided with an outlet,means for regu- I ating the extent of said outlet, a dumping chutepivoted below the outlet, an agitating plate secured to the said hopperopposite the said regulating means, which agitating plate is of springmaterial and extends down into the chute adjacent to the rear of itspivot, a measuring wheelmounted to revolve below the said chute, whichmeasuring wheel is provided with a series of buckets and marginalflanges at the buckets, partially closing their mouths, which flangesare ada )ted for engagement with the chute to hol the same in normalposition, the chute dropping into the open portions of the buckets whenrelieved position from engagement with the flanges of the' wheel, and aretarding mechanism "for the said measuring wheel.

3. In concrete measuring machines, a hopper provided with an outlet,means for regulating the extent of said outlet, a dumping chute pivotedbelow the outlet, an agitating plate secured to the said hopper oppositethe said regulating means, which agitating plate is of spring materialand extends down into the chute adjacent to the rear of its pivot, ameasuring wheel mounted to revolve below the said chute, which measuringwheel is provided with a series of buckets and marginal flanges at thebuckets partially closing their mouths, which flanges are adapted forengagement with the chutes to hold the same in normal position, thechute dropping into the 0 en portions of the buckets when relieved fromengagement with the flanges of the wheel, a retarding mechanism for thesaid measuring wheel, shields located'at opposite sides of the saidwheel, and a conveyer located below the shields and the wheel.

4. In a concrete measuring machine, a hopper, .fixed partitions dividingsaid hopper into a series of compartments, each compartment comprisingan upper solid section, a central hanger and a slab at each side of thehanger, removable partitions fitted in the hopper above the fixedpartitions, chutes pivotally connected with the hangers of the fixedpartitions, the pivots for the said chutes being between their centersand their rear portions, a plate adjustably mounted in each compartmentat the forward wall of the hopper, whereby to increase or decrease thesize of the outlet openings for the compartments, a spring agitatingplate located in each compartment at the inner side of the hopperopposite the said adjustable plate, which spring plates extend down intothe chutes to a position at the rear of their pivots, measuring wheelsmounted to revolve, one below each of the said chutes, each measuringwheel being provided with a series of buckets and each bucket with amarginal flange which is adapted to enq'age with the lower forwardportion. of the chute above it, whereby to l l l l raise the said ehuteto a normal position or I permit it to (her) into dumping position. intoone of the buckets, the huckets in the series oi wheels he ,3; soarraruged that the buckets or one wheel will he stepped relatimljv tothe buckets of the next wheel, shields atthe'fron 1 and the rearportions of the a; id lllGitSUl'ilig wheels, spaced therefrom, aeonveyer helt mounted to revolve bmeath the s ries o'l met suriugwheels, a driving shalt, a driving coi'meetioll between the said sha'ltand the '9 machine, a

0 which the chute discharges, a driven shaft and. a .retardhig devicelor the measuriug wheel, operated by said shaft.

7. In a coir ete measurirg machine, a hopper, a dum sag chute beneaththe hopper, a measuring wheel provided wi h pockets into which the chutedischarge, and a re measuring wheel havihgl tar-ding device for themeasu 'ing wheel, eomprising a worm on a driven shaft and :1 worm wheelon the shaft of the measuring wheel.

8. 111 a coz'icrete measurirg machine, a hopper, a dimming chute belowthe hopper, a measurirg wheel provided with pockets into whicl'i thechute discharges, a coir-revel h heath the 3m \asurihg wheel, a drivensha'lt provided with a worm, a worm wheel on the shalt ol the measuringwheel and with which the worm meshes, and means for operati 11; thecoiuvcyer from paid d liVCII shalt.

9. in a couerete measuring machine, a plu rality o'i" l'io1i pers, adumping chute heueath each hopper, and a u'ieasuriugz; wheel her mtheach chute aml provided with pockets illl'o which the el'iutesdischarge, the pockes o'l" the wheels lJGil'lg so arranged that the])()('l\'- ets of one wheel will he stepped. relativelr to the pocketsoi the next wheel.

10. Ila a concrete measuring imrchiiue, a hopper havirg each of its endwalls provided with parallel and spaced memhers, one o'l which projectsbelow the other, and a dump iug chute pivotei to the projecting'memllers oi" the hopper with its sides extending l,l( tween the saidmembers.

in testimony whereo'l I have signed my name to this speci'liczlthm inthe pleserure ol two suhserihiiig witnesses:

ALVIN 1!. h'lli dtl.

Wi triesses J. F. LA. RITE, W. A. itliuurwiok.

